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The next significant date in the current dispute between Kevin Pietersen and the ECB is looming on Saturday with the deadline for England to name their World Twenty20 squad

Andrew McGlashan13-Aug-2012The next significant date in the current dispute between Kevin Pietersen and the ECB is looming on Saturday with the deadline for England to name their World Twenty20 squad.Confidential negotiations are still ongoing and Pietersen’s representatives have not given up on him being considered for the squad if the situation is resolved.Pietersen was dropped for the third Test against South Africa after failing to provide assurances that the text messages he sent to South African players were not derogatory towards team-mates, including Andrew Strauss, as has been alleged.The ECB delayed naming the squad for the third Test by five hours to allow Pietersen time to clarify what was in the text messages but no reply was forthcoming. Pietersen, who on Saturday evening released a YouTube video stating his commitment to all cricket for England, responded by saying he was “gutted” to be dropped and wanted to continue his international career.As with the Test squad the Twenty20 party was selected during a meeting at Edgbaston last week before Pietersen released his video announcing his commitment to all international cricket. Having previously retired from limited-overs cricket in June, Pietersen’s name was not in the provisional 30-man list although that in itself does not preclude selection for the tournament.However, given the tension surrounding both parties, led by Pietersen’s refusal to confirm the content of text messages, it would appear a long shot for there to be a chance of resolution before the squad deadline. And, having made such a play of team spirit and unity with the decision to drop Pietersen, the selectors and Andy Flower will not be about to make any swift about turns.When interviewed on Sunday Hugh Morris, the managing director of England cricket, strongly hinted that the next stage in trying to reach a conclusion will come when the next round of contracts are issued in September, rather than for any imminent squads.”The selectors will be considering contracts in the coming weeks and those recommendations will go to the board and it is up to them to have a look at this issue,” he said.There is potential for Pietersen to return to action this week for Surrey if he made himself available for the County Championship match against Middlesex. Richard Gould, the Surrey chief executive, said they would be “happy” to have Pietersen if he felt ready to play but as of Monday afternoon had not heard anything.South Africa, meanwhile, have continued to distance themselves from the ongoing situation and have repeated their statement that the ECB have not made any approach to them to reveal the content of the messages and that the comments were “banter”.”There have been untruthful allegations in the media implicating members of our squad in the current issue between Kevin Pietersen and the ECB,” team manager, Dr Mohammed Moosajee, said. “We stand by the same stance we have taken since we heard the news about these allegations.”Yes, text messages were sent but like we said before it was banter among team-mates, which is perfectly acceptable. The ECB has not made a formal approach to myself or any member of the team to see the text messages, as currently reported in the media.”Allegations that Dale Steyn and AB de Villiers were the recipients of the texts are unfounded. Until such time that the allegations are met with the correct facts and evidence, we shall not comment.”The internal issue between Kevin Pietersen and the English cricket board has been publicised for weeks, even before we arrived in the UK and we don’t want to get ourselves involved in an issue that has nothing to do with us.”Gary Kirsten, the South Africa coach, said the team’s preparations for Lord’s were no different. “We will focus on the work we do. We respect the opposition and will not take any Test match for granted. We will look at what the other team has and what areas we can exploit. We don’t look too closely at individuals. It’s no different to any other Test match.”The ECB, meanwhile, will want to find out why Pietersen went ahead with his YouTube video despite being advised otherwise and is unlikely to be impressed with his specific reference to having spoken to Delhi Daredevils, his IPL franchise, ahead of his announcement while seemingly not keeping his major employers in the loop and his presumption that he would play in “Straussy’s 100th Test”.During the interview Pietersen also said he had had an hour-long clear-the-air conversation with a team-mate and the named Matt Prior as the player who attempted to be a go-between between Pietersen and Flower. At the moment, however, it is picking up the phone to the ECB that is Pietersen’s only option.

Graham Onions has been called up to the England squad for the final Test against India at The Oval

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Aug-2011Graham Onions has been called up to the England squad for the final Test against India at The Oval after Chris Tremlett was ruled out due to his back injury while concerns emerged over James Anderson.Tremlett has failed to recover from the problems that ruled him out of the second and third Tests, meanwhile Anderson has experienced tightness in his right quadriceps since the victory at Edgbaston, on Sunday, which sealed the series and took England to No. 1 in the world. Steven Finn was already in the 13-man squad and now Onions will provide a further option for Andy Flower.For Onions it is his first call-up to the full national side since leaving the tour of Bangladesh in March 2010 with a back injury that would subsequently be diagnosed as a stress fracture and put his career in doubt. He missed the whole of the 2010 season and towards the end of the summer had metal pins inserted in his back.”Unfortunately Chris Tremlett has failed a fitness test and won’t be available for selection for the fourth Test, despite showing strong signs of recovery over the past few days,” Geoff Miller, the national selector, said. “Chris’s absence in conjunction with what appears to be a minor injury concern with Jimmy Anderson has led to a call up for Graham Onions as precautionary bowling cover.”We are hopeful that Jimmy will overcome this niggle by Thursday but more time is required before a decision on his availability can be made conclusively. Steven Finn is obviously in the squad and he is now joined by Graham Onions who has been in good form for Durham since returning from a back injury at the start of the season.”Onions has taken 39 wickets at 28.82 in nine Championship matches for Durham this season and played for England Lions against Sri Lanka at Derby in May. He only took three wickets in that match but bowled with good pace and has remained highly rated by the selectors throughout his injury lay-off.In eight Tests Onions has taken 28 wickets at 31.03 including a best of 5 for 38 which came on debut against West Indies at Lord’s. However, he is equally famous for two efforts with the bat when he survived the final overs against South Africa at Centurion and Cape Town. The Test at Newlands was his last because he was then dropped for the final match of the series at Johannesburg before injury struck in Bangladesh.Onions has been preferred over Jade Dernbach, the Surrey fast bowler, who was named as cover for the Lord’s Test against Sri Lanka earlier this season and has also made his one-day international debut. Whether he earns a recall to the XI will depend on whether Anderson, who has 18 wickets in the series including his four-wicket burst to remove the India top order on the fourth day at Edgbaston, is replaced with a like-for-like bowler should he not recover by Thursday.Finn is the next pace bowler in line for a spot having played against Sri Lanka and has been a regular part of the squad, but Flower and Andrew Strauss may decide that with Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan able to trouble India with the short ball that Onions’ fuller length is a better option.

Steven Smith wants to be known as something more than a legspin bowler

Cricinfo staff15-Aug-2010Steven Smith wants to be known as something more than a legspin bowler. Smith, the 21-year-old from New South Wales, was picked as a spinner for his first two Tests against Pakistan last month, but is determined to make it as a batsman as well.”I don’t want to be bracketed as a spin bowler,” he told the . ”It’s great to get into the side as a spin bowler, but I’d like to think there are other things out there.”I’ve practised just as hard on my batting as I have my bowling. Down the track I’d like to bat in the top six or seven and bowl as well. I work very hard on both [disciplines] and hopefully that’s the way forward for me.”Smith collected three wickets against Pakistan in England but his most memorable performance was a muscular 77 in the second match in Leeds. Whether he plays in the upcoming tour of India or the Ashes will depend on team balance and the fitness of Nathan Hauritz, the No. 1 spinner.”Now I’ve had a taste of Test cricket I want a lot more, I’m hungry for it,” Smith said. ”The Ashes is definitely a goal – I really want to be involved in the squad. There’s a series to be played against India in India soon and I’d love to go there. If I do [go to India] it’s up to me to put my best foot forward [for the Ashes] and to then play well for New South Wales.”One thing he is not keen on is being compared to Shane Warne, who has helped him out as a part-time mentor. ”I’m a blond legspinner, but me and Shane are completely different bowlers – and I’m a batsman as well,” he said. ”I like to be my own person so I don’t really go too much for that Shane Warne business.”

They are the only two names featuring in the final list of contesting candidates at the election on January 12

PTI07-Jan-2025Devjit Saikia and Prabhtej Singh Bhatia will be elected unopposed as BCCI secretary and treasurer, respectively, on January 12, as the only two names featuring in the final list of contesting candidates.The list of contesting candidates was prepared by the BCCI electoral officer and former Chief Election Commissioner of India, Achal Kumar Joti, on Tuesday.The window to file the nominations ended last week while the deadline to withdraw nominations ended at 2pm on Tuesday. Since there were no withdrawals, the electoral officer published the list of contesting candidates at 5pm on Tuesday.The election will be held on the sidelines of the BCCI’s SGM on January 12 and the result, which is now a formality, will be announced on the same day.Saikia has been working as the interim secretary of the BCCI since Jay Shah took over as the ICC chairman on December 1.Bhatia filed the nomination for the treasurer’s post after the post was left vacant by Ashish Shelar, who recently took oath as a cabinet minister in the Maharashtra government.

George Bell, Dane Vilas, George Balderson add fifties against unconvincing defending champions

ECB Reporters Network09-Aug-2023England Lions batter Josh Bohannon’s excellent 105 represented his maiden List A century as Lancashire brushed Kent Spitfires aside by 125 runs at Blackpool to gain revenge for last year’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup final defeat.Kent have now lost two of their first three games in an unconvincing title defence, with Bohannon’s 117-ball innings underpinning 328 for 5.George Bell, Dane Vilas and George Balderson also added half-centuries after Lancashire were inserted. Kent List A debutant seamer Jas Singh returned an encouraging 3 for 74 from 10 overs.Lancashire then defended 329 with ease on a Stanley Park pitch not entirely straightforward for batting. They put two rainy no results behind them as new-ball bowler Jack Blatherwick claimed a career best 4 for 52 from 10 overs in Kent’s 203 all out inside 40 overs.Bohannon moved through the gears following a circumspect start. Kent were at their best with the new ball and deserved more early rewards. But they became increasingly ragged.They conceded only 34 runs from the first 10 overs and ensured Bohannon didn’t hit a boundary until his 36th ball – a six over long-on against Hamidullah Qadri’s off-spin.Bohannon’s quartet of sixes were all hit down the ground, an area opener Bell was particularly strong in en-route to 71. The two shared 112 for the second wicket from 15 for 1 after James Bazley had Keaton Jennings caught at second slip.That was one of four catches for Spitfires skipper Jack Leaning. Two of them helped debutant seamer Singh remove Vilas and Balderson, caught for 51 and 57 trying to attack late on. The 20-year-old had earlier bowled Bell following a heave to leg.Bohannon reached his century – his ninth in all senior cricket – off 113 balls shortly after Lancashire had moved to 250 for 3 in the 44th over.After navigating early challenges against Bazley and new-ball partner Grant Stewart, who surprisingly only bowled six overs for 17, the home innings was filled with fearless strokeplay.Balderson reached his fifty in only 25 balls, and right at the death, rookie pro Matty Hurst scooped his first ball over the wicketkeeper’s head for one of three fours in a six-ball unbeaten 15.Kent then made a troubled start to their chase, slipping to 97 for 4 inside 20 overs.Ben Compton miscued a wide ball from Tom Bailey which seemed to stop on him to cover in the third over before Leaning was bowled by one which kept low from Blatherwick.Alex Blake drove to mid-off against Balderson, who then had Daniel Bell-Drummond caught behind for 38 by Hurst off a skied miscue. Bell-Drummond had been released from Hundred duty with London Spirit to play and finished as Kent’s top-scorer.Fifth-wicket pair Harry Finch and Joey Evison then steadied with a 51-run stand, with the latter whipping a six off Tom Aspinwall’s seam. But their hopes were dashed by Blatherwick, who returned to the attack and claimed three wickets in eight balls, including two in two, to leave Kent floundering again at 153 for 7 in the 34th over.Finch was caught behind for 31 off an inside-edge in the 32nd before a pulling Australian Bazley top-edged his first ball to mid-off. In the next over, Evison was lbw for 30.Left-arm spinner Jack Morley then struck twice before some entertaining hitting from last-wicket pair, Singh and Matt Quinn, was ended by Aspinwall’s maiden senior wicket – Quinn caught at deep cover by Blatherwick.

Shakib also backs Mominul to continue as Test captain despite his woeful form

Mohammad Isam26-May-2022″We have to work on our mentality. I think there’s fear of failure among us”, Shakib Al Hasan said after Bangladesh slipped to 23 for 4 on the fourth evening, which seemed like a carbon copy of their collapse on the first morning, when they were 24 for 5.The collapse could be decisive, with Sri Lanka needing only six wickets on the final day to clinch the Test series. Although Bangladesh have Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das, the two first-innings heroes, at the crease, with Shakib due to bat, their plight remains exposed.Tamim Iqbal bagged the first pair of his Test career as the Bangladesh openers made it only the ninth occasion in Test history where the top-two batters got three ducks between them in a Test.Bangladesh have scored eight ducks in the match so far, for the second time in their history. The top four scored just 34 runs in the match, their second lowest in a match.Related

• Can Bangladesh's batters take a leaf out of their bowlers' book?

• Shakib Al Hasan back as Bangladesh Test captain

• Mominul Haque steps down as Bangladesh Test captain

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• Litton: 'It helps knowing that the team depends on me to play a big innings'

Shakib, who spoke at a press conference after a while, was repetitively asked for the cause of Bangladesh’s frequent collapses. He claimed that it was their mentality, not the lack of physical fitness, which bogged them down.”I think we are one of the fittest teams in the world,” Shakib said. “We spend most of our time fielding in matches. I think we fielded around 400 overs [408] in this series. We are definitely fit, look at Litton who kept for 400 overs but came out and scored 141. Mushfiq made 175 [in the first innings]. I think we are physically fit, but we are behind mentally. We have to work on our mentality. I think there’s [a] fear of failure among us. If we think otherwise, we might get better results.””We weren’t able to handle the pressure, and it has been happening like this recently. It happened when I was not in the team, and now it’s happening when I am in the team. We are failing in the second innings in the recent past. We had a chance to improve upon it, but we failed today as well. But we shouldn’t call it ‘the end’ before it ends.”Shakib said that Najmul Hossain Shanto’s run-out, created by an unnecessary mix-up, was a consequence of the batters not being calm.”It is disappointing for us,” Shakib said. “Run-outs, at this stage of the Test, is quite dangerous. One needs to be calm in these situations. There will be nervousness, people will have fear. But it is important to handle pressure in these moments. This is where Test cricket gets interesting.”Shakib said that one way out of it is to remember how the player was successful in similar conundrums, and apply those learnings to overcome them.”We have all faced similar problems in the past. We have seen both sides – success and failure. What is important is to remember what formula helped us become successful. Since we are not used to such a state of mind, it is vital that we keep it in our memory.Shakib said that the remaining Bangladesh batters can save the game on the fifth day. But only if they can survive the first session without losing more than one wicket.”I can help my team by batting for at least three hours,” he said. “If the overnight unbeaten batters can see off the first session, I can bat for another three hours, it will help the team [get to safety].”It is hard to get batters out when they are set in this wicket. Their pacers will bowl five or six-over spells. We have to manage their threat. When the ball gets old and the bowlers get tired, the batsmen are set.”Mominul Haque, has had low returns since becoming Bangladesh Test captain•AFP/Getty Images

Shakib, however, had a better day than most of his team-mates, as he got his 19th five-wicket haul in Test cricket. There was concern around his match fitness, ahead of the Test series, when he came into the Chattogram game two days after testing negative for Covid-19.Shakib shrugged off those concerns by saying that he doesn’t need a long fitness camp at this stage of his career to get back into shape.”I am usually very confident with my bowling,” Shakib said. “I think I lost confidence only once or twice, but it is rare that I have worried about my bowling. The four [DPL] matches were enough. After playing for so long, a player doesn’t need 10 or 15-day camps. He needs three to five sessions.””When I am not playing, I need five or six sessions. If you have fitness, you wouldn’t need anything more. Training isn’t important after playing for so long, but whether you are doing it purposefully or not [is].”Shakib also backed Mominul Haque, who was dismissed for a single-digit score for the seventh innings in a row, to continue as captain.Mominul averages 16.20 this year, and 31.44 as captain since 2019. Before being appointed captain, he used to average 41.47.”It is a tough time for a captain but it is important for us to support him,” Shakib said. “We don’t have a better option that Mominul given our current situation in Test cricket. It is a matter of one inning, which will change everything.”

He will join as a third selector and will join former captains Minhajul Abedin, the panel chief, and Habibul Bashar

Mohammad Isam27-Jan-2021The Bangladesh Cricket Board has named left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak as the third senior selector, to join former captains Minhajul Abedin, the panel chief, and Habibul Bashar. Razzak, who played 200 international matches between 2004 and 2018 and, at 38, continues to be an active cricketer, will have to retire from the game to take up the new job.”My playing experience will certainly be valuable in this regard,” Razzak told ESPNcricinfo. “I used to play cricket, and now I have to help build the national team. I have been captaining in domestic cricket for a long time and I have often helped form teams. It has usually gone well. But the stakes are higher here, and the expectations are more. But still, I believe I can manage it.”I am pretty sure I have to (retire). I haven’t mentioned it yet since I am awaiting the appointment letter but certainly when I join this new job, I have to quit (playing).”Razzak was the first Bangladesh bowler to pick up 200 ODI wickets – he has 207 from 153 outings – and, despite not being a frontline batsman, is the holder of the record for the fastest half-century by a Bangladeshi in ODI cricket – 21 balls, joint with Mohammad Ashraful. He also made a comeback in the Test team against Sri Lanka in 2018 after a four-year break, which turned out to be his last international outing.Over the years, he has been a domestic giant, with 137 first-class appearances. He has taken 634 wickets in them with 41 five-fors. He is also the first Bangladeshi bowler to bag 600 first-class wickets and has won nine domestic first-class titles with Khulna Division and South Zone.

Nazmul Hassan also ducked questions on conflict of interest, and said the board would adopt a ‘wait and watch’ policy for the strike

Mohammad Isam22-Oct-2019BCB president Nazmul Hassan has said that they are open to talks with cricketers who have called for a strike, but not before accusing them of “conspiring against and tarnishing the image of the country”.After a 25-minute monologue which at times veered into the bizarre, an angry Hassan countered every question with “but why did they not tell us before?”When asked how the BCB would solve the problem of the players threatening to boycott the India tour, Hassan said that they are ready to talk to the players.”We are open,” Hassan said. “I don’t know if you listened to me. We have agreed to bigger demands. We have always given them a lot of money. We have solved each and every problem. We were focused on the World Cup, and now we are focusing on domestic cricket. They didn’t go for a strike when nothing was happening but the moment I started to do things, they did this. So these are not real issues. If they come, we are ready to talk.”ALSO READ: The events that led up to the Bangladesh players announcing strike actionHassan also peppered his answers with incidents in which he helped cricketers or their family members. He was then asked about how he would answer if the players pointed at the lavish travel options for Hassan or other board directors, while they had to find bus and train rides within BDT 2,500.”Let me tell you something,” Hassan said in reply. “We made [the travel allowance] BDT 2,500 from BDT 1,000. Nobody talked about it when it was BDT 1,000. They didn’t go to strike when it was BDT 1,000, so why don’t you find out about it? We pay the divisional authorities, and they manage hotel, bus, etc. We heard them, so we will improve it. But why stop the cricket? Why before the India tour? This can’t happen.”Hassan said the BCB was going to adopt a wait-and-watch approach for the next couple of days, when the strike action will come into effect. The NCL’s third round, in four venues, begins on October 24, while the India tour squad’s camp begins on the following day.”I want to see who goes to the [NCL] matches, or the national camp. I want to find out who is trying to stop the India tour. I am hopeful the camp will take place, and the India tour will happen,” he said. “Most of the players want to play, and want the best for Bangladesh. I can’t believe they will destroy Bangladesh cricket for 5,000 taka. But we will soon see what is going on.”Hassan then deflected a series of questions about the board’s conflict of interest problem, which was part of the issues the players had with the board. When asked how committed he was to reducing conflict of interest within the board, especially after the BCB ended franchise rights deals following Shakib Al Hasan’s move to Rangpur Riders from Dhaka Dynamites, which is owned by the same company where he and two other board directors are employed, Hassan had no answer.He also deflected questions about other conflict of interest points including that of the CWAB chairman Naimur Rahman also having the role of a BCB director, Khaled Mahmud holding eleven roles within the BCB and outside, and home broadcaster Gazi TV having a BCB director as its owner.Hassan finished the press conference saying that he had no idea about some of these conflicts, but he would find out.

Zaman shrugged off Sarfraz’s histrionics, suggesting that the team are comfortable under their captain and that, perhaps, a bit of sound and fury was what was needed to sharpen them up

Liam Brickhill in Harare04-Jul-2018Despite Pakistan overcoming Zimbabwe to secure their place in the tri-series final, their captain Sarfraz Ahmed was vocal in the criticism of his bowling attack. “The bowling was not up to the mark,” he said shortly after guiding his side to a seven-wicket win. “They have to work hard.”Sarfraz had been a loud and, at times, stroppy presence behind the stumps during Zimbabwe’s innings. The very first ball of the day seemed to set the tone, as Sarfraz let rip with a fearful ear-bashing at Fakhar Zaman when he was slow off the mark from midwicket, allowing Zimbabwe opener Cephas Zhuwao to get off the mark. There wasn’t much let up thereafter.But Zaman shrugged off Sarfraz’s histrionics, suggesting that the team are comfortable under their captain and that, perhaps, a bit of sound and fury was what was needed to sharpen them up on a particularly cold winter’s day in Harare. “Yeah, he’s the kind of person who does that sometimes,” said Zaman. “But he’s very good at getting us up on the field. We’re used to it and he’s our captain. And well, it works for us and it worked today.”Sarfraz also had some fiery words for his bowlers, ticking Shadab Khan off during an over when Solomon Mire hit him for two big sixes. Mire took the attack to Pakistan’s bowlers, and Zaman admitted that Zimbabwe had scored 20 to 30 more runs than they thought was par on this pitch.”We were expecting 130 to 140 on this pitch, but Mire played a very good innings,” Zaman said. “We knew that we have a very deep batting lineup – we have Shadab at no. 9 – so we were confident we could chase it.”As it turned out, Pakistan’s lower order wasn’t needed as Zaman and Hussain Talat cracked forties before Sarfraz finished things off with an ice-cold, unbeaten 38. While his tongue-lashing geed them up, Sarfraz’s batting was the picture of limited-overs sangfroid and provided a different sort of a lesson to his team. Zaman said that spending time under Sarfraz had helped him improve his own game, particularly in T20 cricket.”In the start in T20 I was hitting every ball in my striking zone, and after playing eight to 10 games I sat with some senior players like Shoaib Malik and Sarfraz Ahmed, and spoke about my gameplans with them,” Zaman said. “I realised that I could play proper cricket shots and be successful, and that’s what I’ve been doing recently.”Pakistan’s win means they are assured of a place in Sunday’s final, though they have a dead rubber against Australia tomorrow. Bucking their recent trend in short-format cricket, Australia have won two in two in this tournament and they were buoyed by an opening victory against Pakistan which included Billy Stanlake’s 4 for 8.”We’ll just keep it very simple [against Australia],” Zaman said. “[Stanlake] bowled really well in the last match but every day is a new day. We’ll play him well.”

Imran Tahir’s four-wicket haul applied the brakes on Sri Lanka as they fell short by 96 in their chase of 300 at The Oval

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando03-Jun-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
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Agarkar: Sri Lanka’s inexperience showed

Sri Lanka had lost five ODIs to South Africa already this year, but had hoped that months later, playing for a different trophy, they could apply the lessons learned during that walloping. It wasn’t to be. The gulf in quality between these teams was borne out by the margin of South Africa’s victory: 96 runs.In fact, South Africa may reflect that despite Hashim Amla’s velvet 103 from 115 balls, and Faf du Plessis’ efficient 75, they were not quite explosive enough during the death.They had begun indifferently with the ball too, allowing a pugnacious Niroshan Dickwella to unsettle them in the Powerplay, but soon, the middle-overs mastery of Imran Tahir took grip, and Sri Lanka’s chase of 300 lay all but scuttled, as they slumped to 155 for 6 in the 30th over. In wiping the remainder of Sri Lanka’s innings out in clinical fashion, South Africa have confirmed, if there was any doubt, that they are serious contenders for the trophy. Tahir’s final figures were 4 for 27, but his effect on the match was even more substantial than those numbers lay out.Meanwhile Sri Lanka, for whom it is now a compliment that only one important catch was dropped, gleaned only minor personal positives from the match. Dickwella set the chase off to a roaring start, Upul Tharanga contributed a half-decent fifty, Kusal Perera stood firm at one end while the lower order crashed around him, and Nuwan Pradeep showcased a slowly burgeoning range of skills with the ball. But these are not the kinds of performances that win matches.The defining periods of play were the middle overs in each innings: having picked the less-aggressive spin option in Seekkuge Prasanna, Sri Lanka allowed Amla and du Plessis to prosper too easily during those overs, and with the bat, lost five wickets for 66 runs from overs 11 to 30.For Amla, who had set South Africa on course for 299 – an imposing score, given the slightly slow nature of the surface – this innings may not rank as one of his best, but it did get him to the milestone of 25 ODI hundreds in 11 fewer innings than any previous batsman had managed it. He now also sits alongside Sachin Tendulkar, Kumar Sangakkara and Ricky Ponting to have 25 hundreds in both Tests and ODIs.He was cautious to begin with, as Sri Lanka delivered some exceptionally tight overs. Initially, he hovered in the crease, dabbing and squeezing his way into the innings. Not until the penultimate ball of the first Powerplay did he venture a boundary: a flick off Pradeep over the leg side. He made only 26 off the first 40 balls he faced.But following the departure of Quinton de Kock, whe nicked off to Pradeep, Amla playd with more ambition. There was a six over long-off, off Asela Gunaratne, in the 19th over, and in the 24th he slunk down the pitch to send Seekkuge Prasanna sailing over the deep midwicket fence. In between those two shots he had reached fifty, and suddenly, was scoring at close to a run a ball.His partnership with du Plessis was the most fruitful of the innings, and the pair hauled South Africa to a position of strength with their quickening 145-run stand. Amla, having provided the innings its thrust during the overs when du Plessis was feeling his way into the game, allowed his partner to make the riskier plays during the middle overs, saving for himself the role of turning the strike over. In fact, between the 24th and 43rd over – when he got out – he hit only one boundary. South Africa scored only 78 runs in the last 10 overs, thanks again to some tight bowling by Pradeep, with support from Lasith Malinga and Suranga Lakmal. Of those runs, JP Duminy contributed 38 in the space of 20 deliveries.Sri Lanka will particularly rule the rate at which their innings crashed and burned, because by the end of the first Powerplay, they had scored 55 more runs than South Africa had managed at that stage of the innings. Dickwella led this charge, flitting about the crease to carve the quicks over the offside, then jumping across to leg to whip them over leg, during his 33-ball 41. With Tharanga also batting confidently through those overs, it seemed inconceivable that Sri Lanka would not at least mount a muscular challenge to South Africa’s total.In the end, Tahir became their downfall, just as he had been during that bilateral series earlier in the year. Dinesh Chandimal got himself run-out trying to get off strike in Tahir’s first over, before Chamara Kapugedara was trapped in front by a googly three balls later. Tharanga then launched a ball into the hands of deep cover, and Asela Gunaratne squirted a catch to square leg, and pretty soon, a rapid start had turned into a procession of wickets. Perera stuck around for 66 balls and hit 44 unbeaten runs, but Sri Lanka were already out of contention for most of his stay. Tahir came back to take the final wicket, and Sri Lanka were all out in the 42nd over.